Support column assembly

ABSTRACT

A support column assembly is provided that comprises a first support tube having an opening therein and extending perpendicularly from a bearing plate, a second support tube extending perpendicularly from a support base and being axially disposed within the opening of the first support tube, and a clamp assembly for clamping the first support tube relative to the second support tube. In this embodiment, the clamp assembly comprises a cylindrical sleeve and a cylindrical clamp. The cylindrical clamp has a tapered opening therein for receiving a tapered end portion of the cylindrical sleeve, wherein the cylindrical clamp is configured to compress the cylindrical sleeve when the tapered opening of the cylindrical clamp is pressed onto the tapered end portion of the cylindrical sleeve, such that the cylindrical sleeve compresses the first support tube onto the second support tube to effectively clamp the first support tube relative to the second support tube.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/660,577, filed Mar. 10, 2005, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to adjustable vertical support column assemblies for supporting roofs and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Support columns are often used to counteract the force that gravity exerts on a mass supported by a roof or other overhead structure. Support columns may also be positioned between two vertical objects under load to keep the objects spaced apart from each other. In underground mining, for example, support columns are used as supports for mine roofs. These support columns are generally positioned perpendicularly between the mine floor and the mine roof. The required length of the support column assembly will accordingly vary with respect to the height of the mine roof to be supported. Fabricating support columns of varying length can be costly, and trimming or adjusting the length of the columns during installation can be time consuming.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Various embodiments of the present invention comprise a support column assembly that provides for assembling the column in place to support a roof or other structure under load. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, some embodiments of a support column assembly comprise a first support tube having an opening therein and extending perpendicularly from a bearing plate, a second support tube extending perpendicularly from a support base and being axially disposed within the opening of the first support tube, and a clamp assembly for clamping the first support tube relative to the second support tube. In one embodiment, the clamp assembly comprises a cylindrical sleeve and a cylindrical clamp. The cylindrical clamp has a tapered opening therein for receiving a tapered end portion of the cylindrical sleeve, wherein the cylindrical clamp is configured to compress the cylindrical sleeve when the tapered opening of the cylindrical clamp is pressed onto the tapered end portion of the cylindrical sleeve. The cylindrical sleeve compresses the first support tube against the second support tube that is axially disposed within the first support tube. This compression effectively clamps the first support tube relative to the second support tube. In some embodiments, the cylindrical sleeve may comprise at least two slots longitudinally extending from the tapered end of the cylindrical sleeve. As the cylindrical clamp is gradually driven onto the tapered end of the cylindrical sleeve, the slots allow portions of the cylindrical sleeve to deflect and compress the first support tube against the second support tube, such that the first support tube frictionally grips the second support tube to effectively clamp first support tube relative to the second support tube.

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of one embodiment of an assembled vertical support column in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of one embodiment of an unassembled vertical support column; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of a second embodiment of a clamp assembly in accordance with the principles of the present invention; and

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

One embodiment of a vertical support column assembly is shown generally as 20 in FIG. 1. The vertical support column assembly 20 comprises a first support tube 26 having an opening therein and extending perpendicularly from a bearing plate 28, a second support tube 24 extending perpendicularly from a support base 22 and being axially disposed within the opening of the first support tube 26, and a clamp assembly for clamping the first support tube 26 relative to the second support tube 24. In this embodiment, the clamp assembly comprises a cylindrical sleeve 30 and a cylindrical clamp 40.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cylindrical clamp 40 has a tapered opening 42 therein for receiving a tapered end portion 32 of the cylindrical sleeve 30, wherein the cylindrical clamp 40 is configured to compress the cylindrical sleeve 30 when the tapered opening 42 of the cylindrical clamp 40 is pressed onto the tapered end portion 32 of the cylindrical sleeve 30. The cylindrical sleeve 30 compresses the first support tube 26 onto the second support tube 24 axially disposed within the first support tube 26 to effectively clamp the first support tube 26 relative to the second support tube 24.

In use, the support base 22 is positioned on a generally horizontal surface and the cylindrical clamp 40 is placed over the second support tube 24 extending from the support base 22. The opening 34 in the cylindrical sleeve 30 is placed over the end of the first support tube 26. The opening in the first support tube 26 is then placed or disposed over the end of the second support tube 24. The second support tube 24 is slidably disposed within the first support tube 24, such that the second support tube may be positioned relative to the first support tube to provide for adjusting the height of the support column assembly. With the cylindrical sleeve 30 positioned over the end of the first support tube 26, the tapered opening 42 of the cylindrical clamp 40 is then inserted onto the tapered end portion 32 of the cylindrical sleeve 30. The cylindrical clamp 40 may be gradually moved or driven onto the tapered end portion 32 to compress the cylindrical sleeve 30 until the cylindrical sleeve 30 has compressed the first support tube 26 against the second support tube 24. The displacement of the tapered portion 32 within the tapered opening 42 of the cylindrical clamp 40 provides a sufficient amount of compression of the first support tube 26 against the second support tube 24 disposed within the first support tube 26. This compression allows the first support tube 26 to frictionally grip the second support tube 24 to effectively clamp the first support tube 26 relative to the second support tube 24. Thus, the vertical support column assembly 20 may be placed on a horizontal surface and assembled in place to provide a support means for a roof or other structure spaced above the horizontal surface.

One embodiment of a clamp assembly is provided as shown in FIG. 2, which comprises a cylindrical sleeve 30 having a tapered exterior portion 32 and an opening 34 therein adapted to receive a first support tube 26, and a cylindrical clamp 40 having a tapered opening 42 therein for receiving the tapered portion 32 of the cylindrical sleeve 30. The cylindrical clamp 40 is configured to compress the cylindrical sleeve 30 when the tapered opening 42 of the cylindrical clamp 40 is pressed onto the tapered end portion 32 of the cylindrical sleeve 30. The cylindrical sleeve 30 is capable of compressing a first support tube 26 onto a second support tube 24 axially disposed within the first support tube 26, to effectively clamp the first support tube 26 relative to the second support tube 24. In some embodiments, the cylindrical sleeve 30 further comprises at least two slots 36 extending longitudinally from the tapered end of the cylindrical sleeve 30 as shown in FIG. 1. In other embodiments, the at least two slots 36 in the cylindrical sleeve 30 may alternatively extend longitudinally from the end opposite the tapered end. The first support tube 26 may also comprise at least two slots longitudinally extending from the end of the first support tube 26, as shown in FIG. 2. As the cylindrical clamp 40 is gradually driven onto the tapered end portion 32 of the cylindrical sleeve 30, the slots 36 allow portions of the cylindrical sleeve 30 to deflect and the opening 34 through the cylindrical sleeve 30 to be reduced, such that the cylindrical sleeve 30 is compressed against the first support tube 26.

As shown in FIG. 1, the first support tube when compressed frictionally grips the second support tube 24 to effectively clamp the first support tube 26 relative to the second support tube 24. Thus, the cylindrical clamp 40 and cylindrical sleeve 32 may be used to clamp any telescoping support column tube arrangement to allow for assembling a support column to provide support for a roof or other structure.

In a second embodiment of a support column assembly shown in FIG. 3, the first support tube 26 has an opening therein and a tapered end 27 that eliminates the cylindrical sleeve of the first embodiment. A cylindrical clamping sleeve 40 having a tapered opening 42 therein is positioned over a second support tube 24, which is then slidably inserted within the opening in the first support tube 26. The second support tube 24 is slidably disposed within the first support tube 26 such that the second support tube may be positioned relative to the first support tube to provide for adjusting the height of the support column assembly. The cylindrical clamp 40 is configured to compress the tapered end 27 of the first support tube 26 when the tapered opening 42 of the cylindrical clamp 40 is pressed onto the tapered end 26 of the first support tube 26. The tapered opening 42 in the cylindrical clamp 40 may then be positioned over the tapered end 27 of the first support sleeve 26, and gradually driven onto the tapered end 27 until the end of the first support tube 26 frictionally grips the second support tube 24. The compression of the cylindrical clamp 40 effectively clamps the first support tube 26 relative to the second support tube 26. Thus, the second embodiment of a vertical support column assembly 20′ may be placed on a horizontal surface and assembled in place to provide a support means for a roof or other structure spaced above the horizontal surface.

The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A clamp assembly for compressively securing first and second telescoping support tubes to form a support column, the clamp assembly comprising: a sleeve having a tapered exterior face portion and an opening therein adapted to receive the first and second support tubes; and a clamp having an opening therein for receiving the cylindrical sleeve, the cylindrical clamp having a tapered interior face configured to engage the tapering exterior face of the cylindrical sleeve and compress the sleeve upon relative axial movement of the clamp and the sleeve, to compressively secure first and second telescoping support tubes disposed in the opening in the sleeve.
 2. The clamp assembly of claim 1 further comprising at least two longitudinally extending slots in the tapered exterior face portion of the cylindrical sleeve.
 3. The clamp assembly of claim 1 wherein the tapered exterior face portion of the cylindrical sleeve is between about 4 and about 6 inches long.
 4. The clamp assembly of claim 1 wherein the tapered exterior face portion of the cylindrical sleeve tapers angle in the range of between about 0.5 degrees and about 5 degrees.
 5. The clamp assembly of claim 1 further comprising at least two longitudinally extending slots in the tapered face portion of the cylindrical sleeve, the slots each being at least as long as the length of the tapered face portion of the cylindrical sleeve.
 6. The clamp assembly of claim 1 further comprising a shoulder on the cylindrical sleeve adapted to engage the end of the first support tube.
 7. An adjustable support column assembly comprising: a first support tube having first and second ends, and an opening in the first end; a second support tube having first and second ends, the first end of the second support tube being telescopingly received in the first end of the first support tube such that the second support tube may be positioned relative to the first support tube to provide for adjusting the height of the support column assembly; a cylindrical sleeve having a tapered exterior face portion and an opening therein for receiving the telescoped first and support tubes and a cylindrical clamp having an opening therein for receiving the cylindrical sleeve, the cylindrical clamp having a tapered interior face configured to engage and compress the tapering exterior face of the cylindrical sleeve upon relative axial movement of the clamp and sleeve such that the cylindrical sleeve compresses the first support tube onto the second tube to effectively clamp the first support tube relative to the second support tube.
 8. The adjustable support column of claim 7 wherein the cylindrical sleeve includes at least two slots extending longitudinally in the tapered exterior face portion;
 9. The adjustable support column of claim 7 wherein the first support tube comprises at least two slots longitudinally extending from the second end to increase the flexibility of the second end.
 10. The adjustable support column of claim 7 wherein the tapered exterior face portion of the cylindrical sleeve has a length of between about 4 and about 6 inches.
 11. The adjustable support column of claim 7 wherein the tapered portion of the cylindrical sleeve has a taper angle of between about 0.5 degrees and about 5 degrees.
 12. The adjustable support column of claim 7, wherein the cylindrical sleeve includes at least two slots extending longitudinally in the tapered exterior face portion.
 13. The adjustable support column according to claim 7 further comprising a bearing plate on the first end of the first support tube, and a bearing plate on the second end of the second tube support.
 14. A method of supporting a roof with a telescoping support column comprising a first support tube having first and a second end, the second end of the first support tube having an opening therein; a bearing plate on the second end of the first support tube, a second support tube having first and second ends, a bearing plate on the second end of second support tube, the first end of the second support tube being telescopingly received in the first end of the first support column, a locking wedge overlying the telescoping overlap between the first and second support tubes, the locking wedge having an exterior tapered face portion; and a cylindrical clamp having an opening for receiving at least a portion of the locking wedge, the clamp having a tapered interior surface for engaging the exterior tapered face portion of the locking wedge, the method comprising: extending the telescoping support column until one of the bearing plates engages the roof and the other bearing plate engages the floor, and moving the cylindrical clamp axially over the locking wedge to compresses the first end of the first support tube to effectively clamp the first support tube relative to the second support tube. 